The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-23
Tho Voting Strength Of the Republican
Party Has Fallen on.


Party Has Fallen or.
OF late years the Republican party In the
city Of New York has been suffering good
deal OF decline. 1t is Just six years since a
straight Republican county ticket in the city
Of New York was able to poll over 5000
votes. In 1880 DANIEL G.. ROLLINS received
for Recorder 92,495, MYER 8. IsAAcs for
Judge 2s,70s. and JACOB HESS for Register
$3.50. They were all running as straight
Republicans. Since that time the Republi-
can strength has been steadily diminishing,
and last year, Notwithstanding the growth
In population during the past five years,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT received for Mayor
only 10000 votes.
Tho evidences which accumulate are all In
favor Of q still further reduction in the Re-
publican strength this year. The detection
Of German Republicans, which began during
the GEORGE canvass, has been accelerated
by the nomination OF F. D. GRANT for Secre-
tary Of State, and 1t Is the opinion of many
Of the leaders that the loss in this direction
Is now permanent.
Another disquieting feature Of the sltua-
ton, 80 far as the local Republicans are
concerned, Is revealed by the registry during
the past two weeks. In the Twenty first
Assembly district which is the strongest
Republican district in town, the falling Off in
registry during the first two days OF 1887.
compared with the first two days OF 1886, is
SIG. In the Eighth, where triangular con-
test Of considerable acrimony is going on for
leadership between JOHN ]. O'BRIEN BAR
NEY RoURKE, and CHARLES SMITH, the fall
ing off Is 1853. In the Seventh it is $780, in
the Eleventh all. and in the Thirteenth 3O7
ALI three are strongly Republican. The
three districts to show an increase are over
whelmingly Democratic.
Other causes besides those Of fractional RI
valry have operated to reduce the Republi-
can vote in the city. OF the district leaders
who may have been said to have come into
the party with the late President ARTHUR
but few now remain. BURNS in the First,
HAYES in the Fifth, ARCHIBALD in the
Twelfth, HUGH GARDNER and ROBERT
STRAHAN in the Thirteenth, PINcKNEY in
the Fourteenth, CREaAN in the Sixteenth,
and President ARTHUR in the Eighteenth
are dead. SMITH and McCoRD have both
moved from the district where they were
strongest; some Of the most energetic
of the local leaders have retired from poll
tics, and a good many Of the others have, in
losing their positions and patronage, lost
their opportunity Of being Of further value
to the grand old party. The Republican ma.
chine In New York is, by reason OF these
causes, very much out Of gear. The district
leaders are themselves many Of them in
open revolt. Agreements made on their be-
half by the Republican State Committee are
utterly repudiated by them, and In most of
the lower districts In the city the leaders are
acting independents Of their county organiza-
ton, and the district captains are In very
many cases acting independent Of the dis
trict leaders. It Is questionable as things
stand now If the Republican machine can
deliver to a straight Republican county
ticket more than $4,000 votes.
A fair sample Is the Fourteenth Assembly
district. Seven years ago it gave the nomi-
nees OF the Republican county ticket 1850
votes; last year the number Of Republicans
had shrunk to 1885, and Of these but zoos. or
IS per cent, voted for RoosEvELT. Nearly
500 Republicans went over to HENRY GEORGE,
Coroner NUaENT, q popular Republican. Is
the leader in the Fourteenth. In the Six
teenth Assembly district last year So per
cent Of the Republicans did notsupport their
Mayoralty candidate: in the Tenth, 81 per
cent; In the Twentieth, So per cent, and in
the Fourth, SO per cent.
In the face Of such disorganizatlon, many
of the local Republican leaders are asking
themselves whether 1t would be worth the
effort entailed for 30 hopeless task, to go to
the trouble Of putting in nomination o full
Republican county ticket next Tuesday
night. The local leaders are, generally
speaking, very listless and the members OF
the Republican club, who are intent on
purifying the city Government by filing all
the offices with graduates from the various
universities, are not getting much encourage
ment in their missionary work among the
active politicians Of the organization.